Victim’s brother describes homicide scene during trial’s second day

PONTIAC >> The brother of a man who was shot to death in Pontiac told a jury Wednesday that he confronted one of the defendants immediately after the shooting.

David Contreras, who was sleeping on the couch at his brother’s home on Inglewood Avenue when two people entered and began firing shots, said he found Jonathan Hickerson outside of the home that night.

David Contreras said he was awoken early that morning by a thud, but he didn’t think much of it because his brother, Adrian, could not see very well without his glasses and often bumped into things in the middle of the night.

“That’s when it all happened,” Contreras said.

About 30 seconds after the thud, “I heard a gunshot and it was right behind my head,” he said.

In a daze, Contreras stumbled toward the kitchen. He saw two people firing gunshots.

During the gunfight, Brian’s pistol jammed, and David cleared the jam and loaded the gun as Brian loaded a shotgun.

While loading the guns, David Contreras said he heard more gunshots coming from the back of the home. His brother jumped out of a bedroom window, and he peeked out of a bedroom and saw someone with a rifle. Contreras charged toward the person and knocked him out of the house.

Once outside, David Contreras picked him up and tossed him into the yard before re-entering the house. He approached Adrian Contreras and realized his brother was dead.

David Contreras then heard a voice that he didn’t recognize saying “Don’t shoot.” He heard gunshots from two different guns and went back outside. He approached a man he would later identify as Hickerson and heard one or two clicks from a rifle, which was pointed in his direction.

David Contreras began to hit Hickerson in the head with his hands and injured a hand in the process.

Howard Arnkoff, who represents Hickerson, asked Contreras what he was thinking when he began to hit Hickerson.

“I wasn’t thinking, sir,” Contreras said.

Hickerson asked Contreras to kill him.

“He said ‘Kill me. Kill me,’” Contreras said.

“He said it three or four times.”

Hickerson had been struck in the chest and leg by gunfire, and he suffered impaired vision when buckshot struck his face. He has been wearing sunglasses in the courtroom during the trial. A conviction of first-degree felony murder could bring life in prison.

Testimony will resume Thursday in front of Oakland County Circuit Judge Rudy Nichols.